STAND. COM. REP. NO. 847

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1303

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1303, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to:

 

     (1)  Assess a fee on all units for community facilities maintenance;

 

     (2)  Establish a minimum rent schedule for state public housing units; and

 

     (3)  Give first preference to certain categories of disabled veterans during tenant selection for state low-income housing.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, and Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee has heard the concerns regarding charging a community facilities maintenance fee to all units.  Your Committee understands that an unintended consequence of charging this fee may be inequity to tenants who do not utilize community facilities.  Your Committee has also heard the concerns regarding establishing a minimum rent schedule for state public housing units.  Your Committee has heard testimony that if minimum rents were set at $300 per month as suggested by this measure, fifty-four percent of family public housing residents would be unable to make monthly rent payments and would be subject to eviction.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Limiting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's authority under this measure to charge a community facilities maintenance fee for the rental and use of common areas for private functions, rather than on all community facilities expenses;

 

     (2)  Deleting sections 2 and 4 of the measure, which would have permitted the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to establish a minimum rent schedule at public housing units;

 

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to allow for further discussion; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1303, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1303, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair